With unmarried parties, the issues of child custody, paternity, visitation, and child support can be pursued. Unmarried parties without children may have issues related to joint ownership of property, for example – a home, and other joint financial obligations which may give rise to claims.
Child Custody and Visitation
Domestic violence protective orders fall under the family law arena. These orders can grant expansive relief in a very short time period and can, in addition to requiring no contact between parties, address custody and visitation, require a party to vacate a residence, and can establish support and maintenance obligations.
Adoption
Additionally, adoption and guardianships can be pursued to formalize the rights of non-biological parents toward minors in their care. Often a guardianship or custody order is necessary to allow a child to enroll in school.
Paternity
Premarital Agreement
Prior to marriage, many couples wish to enter into prenuptial agreements which will govern the division of their property in the event of a future divorce.
Guardianship
Her current practice involves litigation of family law matters as well as personal injury, employment, contract, debt collection, consumer, landlord/tenant, criminal, and general civil matters. She also handles adoptions and guardianships. She has been appointed by the courts on a number of occasions to represent children in the course of divorce cases as a Best Interests Attorney. Samantha serves the community by volunteering for the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the domestic self-represented litigant clinic for Carroll County. She has served on the Judicial Nominations Commission and is the chair of the Family Law Subcommittee for the Carroll County Bar Association. She has been appointed by the Circuit Court for Carroll County to serve as a settlement conference officer. She is currently the chairperson of the Ethics Panel for the Board of Education for Carroll County. She was selected by the judicial nominating commission to the list sent to the governor for consideration for the last vacancy on the Circuit Court for Carroll County. She is a member of the Maryland Association of Justice, the Maryland State Bar Association, and the Carroll County Bar Association.
Spousal Support
In divorce cases, the court will look to address issues such as child custody, child visitation, and child support as well as property distribution and spousal support/alimony claims. Property distribution in divorce will include addressing the division of pensions and retirements as well as issues such as use and possession or sale of marital home as well as disposition of personal property acquired during the marriage. Often these cases include arguments about the nature of property – marital or non-marital – or value of property. An attorney can provide representation in the litigation of these claims, but an attorney can also provide important legal advice on rights regarding these issues as well as services in drafting and negotiating marital settlement agreements to resolve these claims as part of the divorce.
The firm is dedicated to providing quality legal services in an atmosphere of client responsiveness and attention. Our practice is to provide clients with the best legal and practical advice about their case so that they can make informed decisions that are relevant to their pending case and its relationship to future issues. We are dedicated to working with our clients in a joint effort to maximize their goals and pursue the best legal outcome for their unique circumstances. We represent clients in Carroll County as well as the surrounding counties and handle a wide variety of cases in both civil and criminal law.
We handle a wide variety of civil matters for clients including representation for starting a business or creating contracts for a business, creating a lease or handling a landlord/tenant dispute, and working with employees or employers on employment-related matters, severance agreements. We handle peace orders and contract disputes in the district and circuit courts. We handle administrative matters dealing with agencies like the MVA, Department of Labor, and MHIC.
The firm handles family law matters including divorce, custody, domestic violence protective orders, and child support as well as personal injury, workers compensation, criminal, employment, contract, debt collection, consumer, landlord/tenant, wills and estates adoptions and guardianships, administrative issues and appeals, business incorporation and disputes, and general civil matters. We also have mediation services available.
Dedicated to providing quality legal services in an atmosphere of client responsiveness and attention. My practice areas include family law matters, including divorce, custody, domestic violence protective orders, and child support, as well as employment, contract, debt collection, consumer issues, landlord/tenant, wills and estates, adoptions and guardianships, administrative issues and appeals, business incorporation and disputes, appeals, and general civil matters.